Are you pulling your hair out trying to figure why you just can't seem to control the little things that keep piling up in corners and on shelves? Is your home an obstacle course?

If your clutter is making you feel like a basket case, it may be a case for baskets.

There are several organizing mistakes that are quite common; not having a place for things is definitely one of them. It really makes it a lot harder to know where to put something when it doesn’t have a home.

Now baskets are not the answer to everything, for example you would not put your action files in them. Yet baskets can make great homes for a large variety of items, such as cables & game controllers, gloves & scarves, towels & linens, toiletries, pens & pencils, CD collections, kid’s toys, and many more.

Baskets can be added to shelves to hold smaller items and give the room a less cluttered, more decorative look. They are also very easy to put things into. Remember; having things easier to put away than to take out, is a key principal to staying organized.

Some great ideas for baskets include using plastic stackable ones to hold smaller toiletries under the bathroom sink or loose bags of spices and small items in the kitchen cupboard. For items like slippers, shoes, pet leashes, empty bottles and anything else that can leave dust behind, the larger baskets with washable cloth linings can be a great option to consider.

Wire, plastic, cloth, cardboard or metal, baskets are inexpensive and easy to find. I would aslo suggest that you try to coordinate them in each area to keep a tidy and more consistent look. For baskets in view, it is preferable they fit into your décor and color scheme.

You can even find great looking baskets with lids on them. For small items to keep at arms length, like keys, eyewear, wallets, and other daily used items try a little basket on the hallway table or kitchen counter to drop these into. They keep these types of things close, nicely contained, yet out of site.

Remember to label baskets well. There is no such thing as too many labels. Labels make it easier to stay organized. They take a lot of the ‘thinking’ out of finding the right place, and serve to remind you that the container you’ve chosen has set limits on the amount of items in it, thus keeping you from building up clutter. Label, Label, Label!

So if you’re feeling like a ‘Basket Case’ and want to be more organized, take a look around and consider how a few, well placed decorative or functional baskets can make your life easier.

Need help organizing? Michelle serves the Carleton Place, Lanark County and Ottawa areas.